Living with an Invisible Dis-ease

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home”, Edith Sitwell

The winter blues descend upon us if we aren’t careful. This is a melancholy time of year and one which can bring about loneliness, depression, fatigue, anxiety and hopelessness. We remember that the ancients saw this as a time to bring in some boughs, a tree, and to light candles to celebrate the hibernation of the season. Trees, decorations, lights, wreaths are not religious rituals, but that which our ancient ancestors celebrated at solstice, reminding us to welcome a season of rest.

What we should remember is that on the 21st we will be seeing more light each day so please remember that if we sit quietly and meditate each day, we too can begin to see more light that helps us with an understanding of the struggles and challenges we face daily. Move gently about, keep warm, look for relationships that are calming, seek a peaceful place to reflect on our bodies that may be painful, but are waiting for us to heal ourselves. In the meantime have fun and let laughter bring joy to our hearts. Let us eat healthily; eat locally; plenty of fruit and vegetables and rejoice that we are most of us living in a place of plenty.

About the author

I am a Professor Emeritus, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. My B.Sc.is in Nursing while my MA. and Ph.D. are in Sociology.
I am married, a mother and grandmother living on the east coast of Canada.
I have personally lived with fibromyalgia for about 40 years and I am about to publish a book through iUniverse, due summer of 2007. This book will detail living with this condition and allow the voices of twenty women who have fibromyalgia to tell their stories.

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2 comments

The changing light hours is certainly an event to celebrate. In southern California the plants immediately respond to the increasing light hours and spring is sprung. The birds begin to sing their territorial songs and the rains bring green sprounts everywhere. I am moving to a higher elevation in Arizona so winter will last a little longer, but the sun is warm and snow is fleeting. I have lived in the northland in Minnesota where winter is persistent, but the singing of the cardinal in tree tops promised that spring wasn’t far away. No matter where you may reside it is comforting to identify all those signs that the earth in your hemisphere is awakening again. It is a time of hope and promise that another spring will be arriving soon. Thanks so much for your reminder to celebrate the winter solstice. I know that winter is your longest season and that spring seems to never come. It takes time for the longer light hours to warm the north land. May you find solice in those subtle signs that spring is coming. Meanwhile, eat some comfort foods and enjoy your hibernation! Warmly, Valda

Oh Valda: Your lovely comment is so poetic. Thank you so much…changing light, supportive friends, good food…time not to focus on our ailments but on the joy and promise of spring! Happy new year! Barbara